Jerusalem
Acts 21:16-26 KJV 16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of
Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple,
with whom we should lodge. 17 And when we were come to Jerusalem,
the brethren received us gladly. 18 And the day following Paul went in
with us unto James; and all the elders were present. 19 And when he had
saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought
among the Gentiles by his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they
glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many
thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the
law: 21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews
which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought
not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. 22
What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will
hear that thou art come. 23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have
four men which have a vow on them; 24 Them take, and purify thyself
with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads:
and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed
concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly,
and keepest the law. 25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have
written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they
keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from
strangled, and from fornication. 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next
day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the
accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should
be offered for every one of them.
A Visit With the Brethren
Paul and his companions made ready for the final leg of their journey to Jerusalem. The distance was approximately 65 miles inland, taking about 269
three days of travel by foot. They were accompanied by some of the disciples from Caesarea. They were initially bound for the home of an older disciple by the name of Mnason who was originally from Cyprus. He was a disciple that had been saved probably during the personal ministry of Jesus Himself. His home was probably close to the city of Jerusalem. It would provide a place of safety for the travelers while giving them ready access to Jerusalem proper. It would seem that they were gladly received by the brethren.
The following day after their arrival, Paul and company met with James, the pastor of the Church in Jerusalem. The Elders of the church also met with them. These men were the mature ordained brethren of the church. They anticipated hearing a report from Paul concerning the labors and messages from their church brethren in Europe, Asia, and other removed places. No other apostles are mentioned as being present. Why? No doubt they were all away carrying out the Great Commission as they had been instructed to do.
After he had greeted them, in the traditional oriental custom of salutation, he began to relate to them, in detail, the things that had occurred in his missionary work among the Gentiles. God had done many great things through the ministry of the Apostle Paul. To his due, Paul gave all the credit and praise to God for the successes of the missionary work. He detailed the diversification of his ministry through teaching or education, his preaching, his fund raising, his tent making, working with his own hands, his benevolent supervisory work, and his writing of books of the New Testament while on his second and third missionary journeys. He also talked about his imprisonments that were connected with his labors during those years.
There was rejoicing and glorifying the Lord for Paul’s report. In turn, they tell Paul that there is an untold number of Jews living in Jerusalem and Judea that have been saved. The problem is they had been told that Paul taught that the Jews that were among the Gentiles had to forsake everything Jewish. Therefore, they asked Paul to clarify what he had been teaching 270
because they would all hear that he was in Jerusalem and would want an answer. Since it was approaching Pentecost, a multitude of Jews would be gathering in celebration.
They then proceed to explain their plan to deal with the situation. They had four men, mature men who were Christian Jews, ready for the occasion of purification with Paul. The elders instruct Paul to take them and purify himself with them, and do all that was required concerning those things, for the purpose of showing the dissenters that the accusations against him were false and that Paul himself walked orderly and kept the law.
The elders reaffirm what was decided in the Jerusalem council some eight years before. That affirmation was that the Gentile believers should avoid things offered up as sacrifices to idols, from blood and eating anything strangled, and to keep themselves from fornication. These actions would not compromise the Gentiles and the faith. They were not required to follow any of the Jewish customs. The Jewish Christians were also not to incorporate the Jewish customs to salvation to require them in order to complete salvation.
With this advice, Paul took the four men and the next day, purifying himself with them, entered into the temple to show the accomplishment of the days of purification according to custom. An offering was to be offered for every one of them upon the days of purification.
Trouble from a Jewish Mob
Acts 21:27-32 KJV 27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the
Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all
the people, and laid hands on him, 28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help:
This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and
the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple,
and hath polluted this holy place. 29 (For they had seen before with him
in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had
brought into the temple.) 30 And all the city was moved, and the people
ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and
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forthwith the doors were shut. 31 And as they went about to kill him,
tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in
an uproar. 32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran
down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers,
they left beating of Paul.
Everything was going well according to the custom of the Law until the seven days were almost done. Because of the occasion of the Feast of Pentecost, many Jews not from Jerusalem and Judea were in present in the city. When some Jews from Asia saw Paul in the temple, they stirred up the people falsely accusing Paul of previously bringing a Gentile into the temple. That Gentile was Trophimus. However, that charge was false, but it did not stop these Jewish outsiders from creating an uproar concerning Paul. These Jews began to accuse Paul of repeatedly teaching all men, everywhere he went, against the law of Moses, the people of the law (the Jews) and against the temple. It was sure charge of blasphemy, much like the charge that was brought against Stephen. They continued their accusations against Paul by accusing him of bringing Gentiles into the temple (when actually Trophimus was the only one that it could have been applied). Finally, they accused him of profaning the Holy Place. Because they had seen Paul with Trophimus, who was an Ephesian, they jumped to the conclusion that Paul had brought him into the temple.
These contentious outside Jews succeeded in stirring up the city until a mob was formed and running wild. Though they were uncoordinated and running together, they took Paul, handling him like a wild varmint or a vicious criminal, against whom they brought slanderous charges. These Christ-hating Jews from Asia dragged Paul unceremoniously out of the temple so that they could kill him, even though he was completely innocent of all the charges against him. That he was innocent mattered not to these Jews, they were intent on murdering him.
As they were in the process of trying to kill Paul, word came to the chief captain of the Roman soldiers who was in charge of maintaining the peace in Jerusalem, that there was a great disturbance going on in the city and that 272
all Jerusalem was in an uproar. His headquarters was in the tower of Mark Antonio that overlooked the temple and was connected to it by two different stairs, at the northwest corner of it. According to Josephus in his “Jewish Wars,” the Roman Band was under the command of Claudius Lysias. A garrison cohort or band was composed of 1,000 soldiers. This commander took soldiers and their centurions and ran down into the mob, interrupting their beating of Paul.
When this chief captain arrived, he immediately took Paul and placed him under arrest, binding him with two chains. He then demanded who Paul was and just what he had done to stir up this mob so much. He apparently had no idea just who Paul was and would not be able to proceed with anything without him being identified. The mob made such noise accusing Paul of first one thing and then another, that the chief captain could not make out anything that Paul would have said. He, therefore, gave the command to have Paul carried into the castle.
He was being taken up the stairs to the castle for the protection of his life for the moment. The crowd could still see him and still strived to get to him to continue beating him. The situation was very violent and to add fuel to the fire, the multitude followed after him and the soldiers, yelling, “Away with him.”
Once inside the castle, Paul addressed the chief captain, “May I speak to you?” The chief captain replied, “Can you speak Greek?”
The officer appears to have known about an Egyptian seditionist who led an uprising as a false prophet and led about 30,000 people to the mount of Olives to see Jerusalem fall. Four thousand of them were assassins who escaped when the rest were routed by Felix. Josephus wrote that he was driven away by Felix. This Egyptian could not speak Greek, and this was who Lysias, the chief captain, thought who Paul was.
Paul states to Lysias that he was a Jew of Tarsus of Cilicia and a citizen of no particular city. He asks for permission to speak to the people. He was granted permission to do so. As Paul stood on the stairs, he appealed to the 273
crowd to be quiet so he could speak. He began to speak in Hebrew making his defense of innocence against all their charges. He affirmed his hope in Christ for himself and all Israel.
Acts 22:1-30 KJV 1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which
I make now unto you. 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew
tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) 3 I am verily a
man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in
this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect
manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all
are this day. 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and
delivering into prisons both men and women. 5 As also the high priest
doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I
received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them
which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. 6 And it came
to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus
about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about
me. 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord?
And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9
And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they
heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10 And I said, What shall I
do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and
there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the
hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. 12 And one
Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all
the Jews which dwelt there, 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto
me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon
him. 14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou
shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the
voice of his mouth. 15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what
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thou hast seen and heard. 16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be
baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 17 And
it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I
prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18 And saw him saying unto me,
Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not
receive thy testimony concerning me. 19 And I said, Lord, they know that
I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20
And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing
by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew
him. 21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto
the Gentiles. 22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then
lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth:
for it is not fit that he should live. 23 And as they cried out, and cast off
their clothes, and threw dust into the air, 24 The chief captain commanded
him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by
scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. 25
And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that
stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and
uncondemned? 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the
chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a
Roman. 27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art
thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28 And the chief captain answered, With a
great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. 29
Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined
him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a
Roman, and because he had bound him. 30 On the morrow, because he
would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews,
he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all
their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.
Previously we saw that Paul had been beaten because of the Asian Jews who had come to Jerusalem to observe Pentecost. They saw Paul in the temple with three other men from the Jerusalem church who were completing their ritual purification of almost seven days. Paul was literally dragged from the 275
temple by these Jews who stirred up the populace of Jerusalem and began to beat him. The Chief Captain of the Roman contingent of soldiers who were stationed in the Tower of Antonio, rescued him from the Jews, taking him up to the barracks of the soldiers. Paul requested permission to address the crowd and received such permission from the captain to do so. In this part, Paul begins to address the mob.
Paul’s Statement of Defense
Beginning with verse one, Paul begins his statement of defense to the mob that was trying to kill him. His statement was made against the false charges that these Jews had laid against him. He was doing what Peter wrote that God’s children should do, be ready always to give a reason for the hope that is within us. I am sure that Paul had never read or knew what Peter would write, but he understood that the principle of that fact should be carried out.
He began to speak in Hebrew, which caused a great silence to come over the crowd.
He began by saying that he was a Jew, born in Tarsus, in Cilicia. He no doubt stated this to lay aside any notion that he was any renegade that was first thought about with Lysias, the Chief Captain. He was brought up in the city of Jerusalem and was educated at the feet of Gamaliel. He was probably only eleven, twelve or thirteen years of age when he was taken to Jerusalem.
He was taught in all manners of the law and was a very zealous Pharisee concerning God, even to the time of his statement before them.
He spoke about how that he had persecuted the disciples, killing some, binding and delivering many others into prisons, both mature men and women. He continued to speak about the high priest gave him letters of authority, or warrants, to go to the city of Damascus to arrest and bring back those disciples to Jerusalem bound to stand trial for being disciples of Jesus Christ. Even though it had been over twenty years ago, there was all likely-hood that over half of the then members of the Sanhedrin were still alive there in Jerusalem who could give testimony concerning Paul’s statement.
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He continued by telling them that as he was on his way to Damascus, when he and his company drew near to the city, around noon, an extremely bright light from heaven showed all around him. Because of the brilliance of the light and the voice that he heard speaking, Paul instantly fell to the ground.
He recognized the voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
His companions probably heard but could not understand just what was being said to Paul.
Paul recognized the voice of God, in Christ Himself, speaking to him. This prompted him to answer, “Who are thou, Lord?” Jesus identified Himself just as He did to Moses at the burning bush. Paul did not realize that to persecute the people of the Lord, and the churches of the Lord, was to persecute Jesus. He would later write of this to Timothy in his first letter to him. Paul had done the persecution in ignorance because he thought he was serving God as He would have him when he carried out the persecution.
Paul’s answer was to ask the Lord what he should do. The Lord instructed him to go into Damascus and there he would receive directions as to what things the Lord had appointed to him.
We must remember that his companions heard but could not understand what was being said to Paul. When the light had gone away, Paul was left blinded and had to be assisted by the men who were with him. Thus, being led by them, he arrived in Damascus.
The Scriptures do not say, but I am certain that prior arrangements had been made by Paul or someone on his authority for a place to stay while in Damascus. Wherever that was, that was where a man by the name of Ananias found him. Ananias was one of the disciples in Damascus who was of good report of all the Jewish residents there. In order to have this good report, he had to have been there for a considerable amount of time. We are not told, but it is possible that he might have been the pastor of the church there in Damascus. Paul does not state in this account, but Ananias baptized Paul into the church of Damascus.
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Ananias caused Paul to get his sight back again. This particular reference does not give the fact that Paul was actually in the house of a man by the name of Judas, in the Street called Straight, in the city of Damascus. It was there that Ananias gave Paul God’s instructions for him. Ananias stated that God had chosen Paul, that he should know His will, and that he would see Jesus, and hear the voice of His mouth. That happened on the road that day to Damascus. He was to be a witness to all men that he would see and hear.
Eventually, Paul would return to Jerusalem, about three years after his conversion, of which time was spent in Arabia. Paul at that time went to the temple where he spent approximately fifteen days, resulting in an otherwise unaccounted vision coming to him. In that vision he was warned to quickly get out of Jerusalem because they would not receive his testimony.
Paul’s answer to the Lord was that they Jews knew that he had imprisoned and beaten the disciples in every synagogue where he could find them. He included the fact that when Deacon Stephen was stoned to death, he was standing by and was consenting to his death, even to the point that he watched over the outer clothes of those who were doing the actual stoning.
In his vision, the Lord replied to Paul’s statement by saying that He was going to send Paul far away into distant places and nations away from Jerusalem and Judea. Therefore, he was to get up and go.
The Jews Reaction to Paul’s Statement
The mob silently listened to Paul’s defense and stayed that way until they heard the word “Gentiles.” They then began to shout, “Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.” They were still filled with the intent of killing him. They were like lunatics in an insane mob in their efforts against Paul. They began to throw off their outer clothes that would be a hindrance in their trying to stone or beating him. They were throwing dust, dirt into the air like maniacs, with violent emotional and mental agitation.
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THE CHIEF
The chief captain ordered that Paul be brought back into the castle and that he should be interrogated with scourges. This was a method that was used by the Romans to try to get information by torture.
https://www.gotquestions.org/how-did-Paul-die.html
The chief captain could not understand what Paul was saying in his defense because he spoke in Hebrew. He may not have understood Paul, but he certainly understood the rage of the mob. He still needed to know what the situation was all about.
2
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As the Roman soldiers began to bind Paul with leather thongs, he asked a simple question that changed the course of things immediately. That question was: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and
uncondemned? (Verse 25) The Centurion in charge of the detail stopped the proceedings immediately. Paul had asked the question whether it was lawful for a Roman citizen to be scourged without being legally condemned as a criminal. This caused the officer to be in fear for his own life and job because it was not legal under Roman law for a Roman citizen to be tortured in this manner. It could be utilized in the case of slaves and foreigners.
(Jesus was not a Roman citizen, therefore, it was legal for the Romans to have scourged Him before crucifixion.)
The centurion told the chief captain that they should be careful as to what they did to the prisoner because he was a Roman citizen. Lysias then asked Paul himself if it was true that Paul was a Roman citizen. Paul answered in the affirmative that he was indeed a Roman citizen. The chief captain must have some doubt that Paul was a Roman citizen because Lysias stated that he had bought his citizenship. Paul replied that he was a free born citizen.
"Then Paul explained (asserted), but I honestly have been born as a Roman,"
have been a Roman, even from birth. His father was a Roman citizen, whether he received it by purchase or from special service is not known, but Paul inherited his Roman citizenship. Both the chief captain (Lysias) and the centurion knew that to claim to be a Roman citizen falsely was a serious crime, but no more serious than for a Roman official to beat a Roman citizen before an open trial, on mere allegations of charges against a prisoner.3
The soldiers who were carrying out the scourging left off immediately and left him alone. Lysias knew that he was responsible to Caesar for the affair and manner in which it had been handled. He took off Paul’s bindings but apparently kept him in custody overnight for his own safety.
The next day, Lysias commanded the chief priests and the council to appear.
(He had the authority to summon them on any issue of Jewish religious matters.) When they were gathered, he brought Paul before them. He still 280
had not heard what the charges were against Paul. He then listened as they began to question Paul.
Conclusion
Beginning with Acts 23, we will consider Paul’s appearance before the council and what happened afterwards.
1 https://www.bibleversestudy.com/acts/acts22-roman-scourge.htm 2 https://bible-history.com/past/flagrum
3 Albert Garner, Power Bible CD, his comments on Acts 22:28
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